PARRUPU URUNDAI KUZHAMBHU | URUNDAI KULAMBHU

Parrupu Urundai Kuzhambhu, my mom makes during our childhood days, but i never used to eat it and she makes rasam for me but my sister used to love it like anything. Even after marriage in my in laws place they never used to make it but i remember once my mil made this with morkuzhambhu. When i wanted to make this last week, I asked my mom for the recipe and i tried it and somehow i enjoyed it and told my mom that i liked the paruppu urundai kulambhu very much.
Check out my

• Ulli theeyal recipe
• Thatta payar kuzhambu

INGREDIENTS:
FOR URUNDAIS:(YIELDS 10 SMALL BALLS)

TOOR DHAL	1/4 CUP
CHANNA DAL	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	2
SHALLOTS(SMALL ONION)	6-7(OPTIONAL)
SALT	AS NEEDED
ASFOETIDA	A GENEROUS PINCH

FOR THE GRAVY

TAMARIND EXTRACT(THIN EXTRACT)	3 CUPS
SAMBAR POWDER	2 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
SESAME OIL	1 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

Method:

• Wash and soak the dals together for 45 minutes.
• Drain the water completely and grind it into a slightly coarse paste by adding red chilli , salt and asafoetida to this.
• Peel the skin of the shallots (if using)and finely chop them and mix it to the ground dal mix.

• Grease your hands and make small tight balls.
• Grease the idli plate and arrange the urundais on it and steam it for 12 to 15 minutes on medium flame.
• Insert a tooth pick to check out whether it is done.

• In a pan, add sesame oil and throw in the mustard seeds and when it splutters add the tamarind extract and add the turmeric powder, salt,sambar powder ,curry leaves and asafoetida.

• When it starts boiling simmer the flame and add the steamed paruppu urundais carefully to the boiling gravy one by one.

• Let this boil till it reaches a kulambhu (gravy) consistency.
• It should be slightly thicker than the sambar.

• Serve with hot rice. Normally we mix  the gravy with hot rice and keep he urundais as accompaniment.
• We had with avarakkai(broad beans) curry and Vazhakkai chips.

Note:

• Adding onions is totally optional. My mom told adding onions makes it soft.
• Some people add fennel seeds while grinding ,but since i don’t like it much i didn’t add.
• You  also add a tsp of cumin seed while grinding.
• Some people may add coconut to the gravy, if you want to add just grind 2-3 tblsp of coconut with little water and add it to the gravy in the last.
• Always ensure that the balls should be tight and while grinding do not add water. If it is loose they may tend to break after putting it into the gravy.